"Anyone who joins us will be part of those plans and can learn the whole process. “I am a big fan of job rotation”, said Mr Vos. “We spend a great deal of time training our employees. We also drive continuous improvement. Doing things one per cent better every day.” “Diversity is also important. We have 25 per cent women already and I would like to grow it to 30 per cent and there are some corporate requirements from Hydro in that direction too, for a diverse workforce. “Anyone who starts working for us will be part of the Hydro family and be building parts for British cars.
sure will not scupper the scheme. “First we will create a proper logistics centre for our raw materials and finished goods storage. It will also improve the truck handling and we will have better parking conditions for our employees. “Then, we will expand the factory to give room to the paint shop and to new product launches. “One of them uses a new joining technology called Refill Friction Stir Spot Welding (RFSSW)” said Mr Vos. “We are the first plant within Hydro to utilise this technology in mass production.” Completion of the works will make the site a tier-one automotive supplier to UK car manufacturers. “After the expansion, we will get raw extrusions from colleagues in Cheltenham, where Hydro has another plant. And we will use our new skills to turn that product into a finished component ready to be fitted onto a vehicle.
“Hydro as an employer is about taking care of its people. The company values of care, collaboration and courage are embedded in what we do. “Worker safety is priority number one. Everything we do is targeted at that and management spends a significant amount of time improving the safety of the workplace. “We are awaiting approval to start breaking ground. Assuming it will go through it will be an exciting year for Hydro in the UK and those looking to forge careers in the automotive components sector. “In the August - September timeframe, the building should be in place and we can start moving new equipment in and creating jobs in fourth quarter of this year” l Visit hydro.com/en/gloucestercomp/ or telephone 01452 502502
February 2020 | www. punchline-gloucester .com | 71
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